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Saul chases David

23 David was told, “The Philistines are now attacking Keilah and looting the threshing floors!”

David asked the Lord, “Should I go and fight these Philistines?”

“Go!” the Lord answered. “Fight the Philistines and save Keilah!”

But David’s men said to him, “Look how frightened we are here in Judah. It’ll be worse if we go to Keilah against Philistine forces!”

So David asked the Lord again, and the Lord reaffirmed, “Yes, go down to Keilah, because I will hand the Philistines over to you.”

Then David and his soldiers went to Keilah and fought the Philistines, driving off their cattle and defeating them decisively. And that’s how David saved the residents of Keilah.

Now after Abiathar, Ahimelech’s son, fled to David, he had accompanied David to Keilah,[a] bringing a priestly vest[b] with him. When Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has handed him over[c] to me now because he has trapped himself by entering a town with gates and bars!” So Saul called up all his troops for war, to go down to Keilah and attack David and his soldiers.

When David learned that Saul was planning to harm him, he told the priest Abiathar, “Bring the priestly vest now.”

10 Then David said, “Lord God of Israel, I, your servant, have heard that Saul plans on coming to Keilah and will destroy the town because of me. 11 Lord God of Israel, will Saul come down as your servant has heard?[d] Please tell your servant.”

“Yes, he will come down,” the Lord answered.

12 Next David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my soldiers over to Saul?”

“Yes, they will hand you over,” the Lord replied.

13 So David and his troops—approximately six hundred men—got up and left Keilah. They kept moving, going from one place to the next. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he didn’t go there.

14 David lived in the fortresses in the wilderness and in the hills of the Ziph wilderness. Saul searched for him constantly, but God did not hand David over to Saul. 15 While David was at Horesh in the Ziph wilderness he learned that Saul was looking to kill him. 16 Saul’s son Jonathan came to David at Horesh and encouraged him with God. 17 Jonathan said to him, “Don’t be afraid! My father Saul’s hand won’t touch you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be your second in command. Even my father Saul knows this.” 18 Then the two of them made a covenant before the Lord. David stayed at Horesh, but Jonathan went back home.

19 Some Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah. “David is hiding among us in the fortresses at Horesh on the hill of Hachilah, south of Jeshimon,” they said. 20 “So whenever you want to come down, Your Majesty, do it! Leave it to us to hand him over to the king.”

21 “The Lord bless you because you have shown this kindness to me!” Saul said. 22 “Go now and get everything ready. Find out everything you can: where he stays, where he goes, who has seen him. I am told he is very shrewd. 23 Find out every hiding place he uses there and come back to me when you know for certain. I will then go with you. If David is in the area, I will hunt him down among any of Judah’s clans!” 24 So they got up and left for Ziph ahead of Saul.

Meanwhile, David and his soldiers were in the Maon wilderness in the desert plain south of Jeshimon. 25 When Saul and his troops went looking for him, David was told about it, so he went down to a certain rock there and stayed in the Maon wilderness. When Saul heard that, he went into the Maon wilderness after David. 26 Saul was going around one side of a hill there while David and his soldiers were going around the other. David was hurrying to get away from Saul while Saul and his troops were trying to surround David and his soldiers in order to capture them. 27 But a messenger suddenly came to Saul. “Come quick!” he said. “The Philistines have invaded the land!” 28 So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to fight the Philistines. That’s why that place is called Escape Rock. 29 [e] Then David went from there and lived at the En-gedi fortresses.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 23:6 LXX; MT lacks he had accompanied David to.
  2. 1 Samuel 23:6 Heb ephod
  3. 1 Samuel 23:7 LXX, Targ; MT made a stranger of him
  4. 1 Samuel 23:11 DSS (4QSamb), LXX; MT Lord God of Israel, will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come down as your servant has heard? Cf 23:12a.
  5. 1 Samuel 23:29 24:1 in Heb

David Saves Keilah

23 When David was told, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah(A) and are looting the threshing floors,”(B) he inquired(C) of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?”

The Lord answered him, “Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”

But David’s men said to him, “Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!”

Once again David inquired(D) of the Lord, and the Lord answered him, “Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines(E) into your hand.(F) So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah. (Now Abiathar(G) son of Ahimelek had brought the ephod(H) down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)

Saul Pursues David

Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, “God has delivered him into my hands,(I) for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars.”(J) And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar(K) the priest, “Bring the ephod.(L) 10 David said, “Lord, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me. 11 Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Lord, God of Israel, tell your servant.”

And the Lord said, “He will.”

12 Again David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender(M) me and my men to Saul?”

And the Lord said, “They will.”

13 So David and his men,(N) about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.

14 David stayed in the wilderness(O) strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph.(P) Day after day Saul searched(Q) for him, but God did not(R) give David into his hands.

15 While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that[a] Saul had come out to take his life.(S) 16 And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength(T) in God. 17 “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king(U) over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.” 18 The two of them made a covenant(V) before the Lord. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh.

19 The Ziphites(W) went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us(X) in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah,(Y) south of Jeshimon? 20 Now, Your Majesty, come down whenever it pleases you to do so, and we will be responsible for giving(Z) him into your hands.”

21 Saul replied, “The Lord bless(AA) you for your concern(AB) for me. 22 Go and get more information. Find out where David usually goes and who has seen him there. They tell me he is very crafty. 23 Find out about all the hiding places he uses and come back to me with definite information. Then I will go with you; if he is in the area, I will track(AC) him down among all the clans of Judah.”

24 So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Desert of Maon,(AD) in the Arabah south of Jeshimon.(AE) 25 Saul and his men began the search, and when David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he went into the Desert of Maon in pursuit of David.

26 Saul(AF) was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side, hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his forces were closing in on David and his men to capture them, 27 a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land.” 28 Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth.[b] 29 And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds(AG) of En Gedi.[c](AH)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 23:15 Or he was afraid because
  2. 1 Samuel 23:28 Sela Hammahlekoth means rock of parting.
  3. 1 Samuel 23:29 In Hebrew texts this verse (23:29) is numbered 24:1.